THE evidence heard in the case of this bizarre “black magic” sex cult in the tranquil setting of Carmarthenshire’s seaside town of Kidwelly seemed like something from a horror novel.

The jury at Swansea Crown Court was told of ceremonies with women dressed in robes, all tattooed with the ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus protection symbol.

And the quasi-religious sect in which members had “swinging” lifestyles was said to have been influenced by the arch satanist and practitioner of black magic, the late Aleister Crowley.

Sections from his controversial works The Book of The Law, Equinox of the Gods and The Book of Magick were said to have been read out at shadowy sect ceremonies in members’ homes in the cul-de-sac of Clos yr Onnen.

At one, an altar was set out with a goblet of red wine, an incense burner and salted bread and sect members later disrobed, or in their words “became skyclad” and had sex.

Sadly, said Peter Murphy QC, prosecuting, children and vulnerable young adults would become prey to the lust of “evil and manipulative” Colin Batley, 48, whom he named as the sect’s “principal”.

Five complainants, whose identity is protected by law, came to the trial to describe how they were taken or lured to the homes at Clos yr Onnen and subjected to sex attacks, even on some occasions being forced to have sex while being filmed.

They were so terrified of Colin Batley they gave evidence via CCTV, some of the female complainants breaking down and sobbing as they recalled what happened.

They said others, who have not come forward, were also made to perform unspeakable acts.

Prosecutor Peter Murphy QC said that as the “controlling” leader of the cult, Batley took a 25% cut of any cash other members earned.

One co-defendant, Shelly Millar, 35, was said to have got through 3,000 clients in a two-year period while acting as a prostitute in massage parlours in Swansea and Bristol.

He highlighted Batley’s purchase of a £21,000 luxury caravan in February last year using a £3,210 cash deposit, despite having no obvious income.

Batley, who dismissed his role as a feared high priest of his own religion as “a load of rubbish”, claimed he made £10,000 a year breeding pedigree Rottweilers for sale and also bred Siamese cats.

And he claimed some of his money came from “gambling on the dogs and horses”.

Despite the horrendous crimes involved, the bizarre nature of the sect led to some lighter moments as barristers reflected on their clients’ dismissal of the sex cult allegations.

Barrister James Jenkins told the jury: “Just because they had an interest in Egypt it does not mean they went to Asda in chariots.”

And Kevin Riordan, for Colin Batley, said: “It is not my business to be disrespectful to a client.

“But judging by his overall intellectual abilities, his looks, his demeanour, is this a modern-day Rasputin?”

During the trial it emerged that following the defendants’ arrest last summer, a split took place between Colin and Elaine Batley.

While giving evidence during the trial, she accused her husband of laughing at her from the dock as she stood in the witness box.

She said: “I feel embarrassed to be married to him”.

And she added: “I’ve changed, you won’t get the better of me now.”

She told the court that while she and Jackie Marling had been involved in “threesomes” and she and Marling had a lesbian fling together, she only found out later that her husband and Marling had been having a long-term affair.

The discovery was made when Marling sent him a birthday card with the words “To my husband” on it.

Of her marriage, she said on one occasion he sent a photo of her to the Readers’ Wives section of a pornographic magazine and this led to them meeting “other couples for group activities”.